9 down, 1 to go

No fun. NINE sick kiddos and a husband with terrible allergies!

I am praising God that I am still well and I hope to stay that way!

Up lots of the night helping find solutions for sore throats, coughs, runny noses, and fevers.

Did you know you can MAKE cough medicine? It is so easy. I got the basic recipe from The How To Herb Book by Keith and Gordon. It a book I use ALL of the time!

Here's the basic recipe:

1 cup honey

1 cup lemon juice

1-2 Tbsp. each of lobelia herb and ginger root

1/2 tsp. alum

1/2-1 tsp. cayenne

put it all in a small saucepan and simmer down for a few minutes (will turn liquidish). Strain out the herbs and you are left with a sweet, sour, spicy cough syrup that is all natural and actually works really great. DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional, just a mom who tries not to put synthetic drugs into her children as much as possible. Use wisdom and do your own research before trying yourself, please!

Please pray for healing, especially for Jeff, as he is supposed to be preaching tomorrow!

A Work in Progress

Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children,

to be self‑controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. -*Titus 2:4-5

Dearest "younger women" friends,

Are you just starting out and it seems like you'll never "get it?"

Do you have multiple ones at home and you feel like you just barely make it through each day?

Is your house a mess and your dinner less than appetizing?

Is your love life with your husband lacking (or non-existent)?

I know.

It is hard.

and,

for some of you,

it seems like you

"just weren't made for this*."

but

Don't be discouraged by what doesn't come naturally.

Honestly, I didn't know ANY of this* when I started out either.

It has been a seeking, reading, praying, growing, working it out

process to get where I am now

as a woman, wife, mom, and homemaker. . .

and I'm still learning

and have far to go.

Satan would love for you to believe that you can't do

what doesn't come easily or naturally.

That is a LIE.

God has created us to be helpers

and nurturers

and managers

and so much more

and

He equips and teaches us to do it.

Learning to find joy and contentment

in the hard work of this* has been one of

the

most

refining

processes

in my whole life.

It has been KEY in helping me to die to myself.

and oh,

so very hard

BUT SO VERY GOOD!

Take heart, my dear friends,

for as my grandmother always said,

"We are all a work in progress."

None of us have arrived yet (no matter how it looks on the outside!)

On the journey,

Jen

Growing

‎Gradual growth in grace, growth in knowledge, growth in faith,

growth in love, growth in holiness,

growth in humility, growth in spiritual-mindedness

-

all this I see clearly taught and urged in Scripture,

and clearly exemplified in the lives of many of God's saints.

But sudden, instantaneous leaps

from conversion to consecration

I fail to see in the Bible.

~ J.C. Ryle

Broken-Down House

A Light in His Hands

So little preparation

so many

unrealistic expectations

so often

dreams are dashed

unwanted fears

realized.

Too few

understand where they are

too few

know where they're going

too many

feel alone and lost.

Yet the One who knows

and who understands

has joined the journey.

He holds a light

in His hands

and He is One

who can be trusted.

If you are looking for a book to read this year, pick up Broken Down House: Living Productively in a World Gone Bad by Paul David Tripp

Be Informed before Injecting

Mr. Z cut his finger today. It bled a LOT and, in the craziness of the moment, I thought I might call to see if we could get in to see our doctor just to see if it needed a stitch.

I was unprepared for the unsolicited medical directive that was inappropriately offered to me by the SECRETARY that I needed to come in for Mr. Z to get a tetanus shot.

IF I had been thinking clearly, I would have just asked to have the doctor call me back, but instead I said "uh, o.k., what time?"

Immediately after I got off the phone I felt sick to my stomach and knew that I needed to check into this further before I injected my son with a foreign substance because he had a cut on his finger.

What I was able to quickly learn about tetanus shots was more than troubling and I subsequently cancelled the appointment, cleaned the wound thoroughly (again), administered some herbal immunity boosting pills, and some of my homemade herbal "miracle salve."

(which is what I would normally do, duh!)

This incident made me aware of just how easy it is to passively fall into whatever the cultural norms are of the day, whether it be sending our kids off to indoctrination centers when they are 3 or injecting them with foreign substances because that's what the doctor (or his secretary) tells us to do.

We've made some decisions about vaccines in our family.

We made them with a large amount of information and prayer.

I can't tell you what you should do (nor do I want to), but I do want to exhort you to

INFORM yourself and discuss it with your spouse BEFORE you INJECT.

Please, take the time to at least check out the other side!

Do your own research, but here are a few places to start:

http://www.vaccinetruth.org/

Interview with Dr. Sherri Tenpenny

PLEASE take the time to listen to this 4 part series from a doctor who used to give vaccines! Well worth your time!

http://www.generationrescue.org

some other good reading at klaty.com from another concerned mother who has done her research.